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Auto alternatives for the 21st centuryFri, 09 Dec 2016 14:15:34 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.2.4California Celebrates One-Quarter Million Plug-in Cars Soldhttp://www.hybridcars.com/california-celebrates-one-quarter-million-plug-in-cars-sold/
http://www.hybridcars.com/california-celebrates-one-quarter-million-plug-in-cars-sold/#commentsMon, 14 Nov 2016 18:00:46 +0000http://www.hybridcars.com/?p=518441Announced a couple weeks early to coincide with this week’s start of the LA Auto Show, Californians are celebrating the 250,000th plug-in electrified vehicle sold in state. As a representative at the epicenter of the plug-in car movement, the California Plug-in Electric Vehicle Collaborative projects more than a quarter million PEVs will have been sold […]

The PEVC – using data acquired from HybridCars.com – is also celebrating a broadening market with many more units sold, and new longer-range, and more exciting models coming along.

“Just a few years ago, you could count the number of plug-in models on one hand. Times have changed,” said PEV Collaborative Executive Director Christine Kehoe. “Today, anyone thinking about buying a car can check out more than 30 electric models. And with federal and state rebates, they are more affordable than ever.”

The HybridCars.com Dashboard presently counts 26 plug-in cars – 14 plug-in hybrids, including the discontinued Cadillac ELR, and 12 battery electric cars. If one breaks out sub models – like the BMW i3 and i3 REX, etc. – and includes maybe a fringe model or two, then the count can arguably be over 30.

In any event, the market is growing, and as we speak the first over 200-mile range EV priced with subsidies under $30,000 – the Chevy Bolt – is being launched in California and Oregon, and is due to roll out in the rest of the country beginning early next year.

PEV Central

California is a very unique market from a global perspective that since 2010 has all by itself consumed 46 percent of all PEVs sold in the U.S.

The U.S., counting sales back to 2008, has purchased 532,754 PEVs through October 2016. Of these 119,748 were purchased just in the last 10 months from January through October.

During the last half of 2016, California has accounted for 49.7 percent of all PEV sales, has seen as high as 55 percent of U.S. market share, and why is this, you may ask?

Is it because California consumers are just so much more progressive than all others in the U.S.?

While some may argue yes, more potent stimulus comes down to the policies and realities that stoke both supply and demand.

California is the one state that has legal right to make zero-emission rules alongside the U.S. EPA, and they are actually more aggressive, and weighted to incentivizing and encouraging automakers to sell electrified cars, including fuel cell vehicles.

“Along with growing consumer demand, California’s clean car programs are credited with helping spur electric vehicle innovation and have encouraged automakers to invest in next-generation electric car technology,” said the PEVC today in a statement.

That’s a benign way of saying California swings a heavy stick and is ready to penalize carmakers who do not sell in state. California is known therefore for what are called “compliance cars” that comply with California ZEV rules.

As the Union of Concerned Scientists has shown in its Electrifying the Vehicle Market report, California gets all the best PEVs – more variety and quantity – than any other state.

Other states that follow California’s ZEV rules also have policies in place offering rebates to consumers that add to federal consumer tax credits nationally available, but it is California that is the epicenter.

Only the nation of China has more plug-in cars on the road, as that also-policy driven country has been catching up fast since 2014.

Source: UCS.

As you’d thus expect, on a market-share basis, California basically crushes the rest of the country. The percentage of PEV sales in the 17.5-million passenger vehicle U.S. market is a slim 0.8 percent more or less.

California last year has exceeded this by nearly five times statewide, and hot spots in California are far above the lower 3 percent state average.

Number one is San Jose, which has bought 9.4 percent plug ins. This is followed by Santa Cruz with 5.8 percent, San Francisco with 5.3 percent, and Eureka at 4.8 percent.

The only place on the world map that beats these uptake percentages is Norway – itself an outlier, and which buys 25 percent PEVs in its tiny market of 5.1 million people.

In the U.S., only Boulder Colo. gets close with 3.2 percent PEV sales.

Source: UCS.

Such realities – that include greater proliferation and public spending on charging infrastructure and car manufacturers and dealers on board with the agenda – are the dismay of PEV advocates in other parts of the country.

For example, in the Northeast, where many consumers are in tune with the environmental and oil-reducing advantages of plug-in cars, supply is less, and carmakers – driven by regulations – have been slower to market and supply PEVs.

The flip-side to California getting the lion’s share, and other states being in the have-nots index is that if California had not pushed carmakers as hard as it did, others would be much less likely to have as many PEVs, if any.

The most anticipated product yet to come – 2018 Model 3. Around 400,000 reservation holders have a place in line for the projected $35,000 and up car with 215 or more miles range.

The U.S. EPA, though being fought now by automakers who say its rules are too tough, has made it possible for them to meet emission and mpg regs through 2025 with just 1-3 percent PEVs.

Mainstream media may misleadingly report that 2025 federal rules dictate nearly 55 mpg, but that is not what will be on window stickers. Window sticker values may be between 37-40 mpg on average under 2025 federal rules – up from mid 20s mpg today.

And meanwhile, the push continues in California, which before 2050 wants 100 percent zero emission vehicles, today leads the way, and momentum has continued despite setbacks.

In November, California did cut back its consumer incentive program to exclude high income families, and earlier this year “green stickers” allowing solo HOV access for plug-in hybrid owners was temporarily halted, but a fire has otherwise been lit.

]]>http://www.hybridcars.com/california-celebrates-one-quarter-million-plug-in-cars-sold/feed/0Hybrid Cars Have Cost Advantage Over Diesel, Less Expensive Than EVshttp://www.hybridcars.com/hybrid-cars-have-cost-advantage-over-diesel-less-expensive-than-evs/
http://www.hybridcars.com/hybrid-cars-have-cost-advantage-over-diesel-less-expensive-than-evs/#commentsMon, 12 Sep 2016 19:48:01 +0000http://www.hybridcars.com/?p=490457Nearly two decades after the first Toyota Prius went on sale in Japan, the cost of hybrid technology is now less than diesel, according to the original Prius lead engineer, Satoshi Ogiso. In an exclusive interview with Forbes’ contributor Bertel Schmitt, Ogiso said a cost advantage for the technology he was part of from the […]

In Europe, diesels have enjoyed a nearly 50 percent market share because they were seen as the only answer to meet regulations that were lower in cost than hybrids.

With the higher cost of emission treatment systems, “the business case for diesel can only deteriorate further, industry leaders realize, as targets become stricter, while electric and hybrid car batteries get cheaper and more powerful,” Ogiso said.

That magnifies the business case for hybrids.

As for pure battery electric cars, Ogiso thinks their numbers will rise but won’t become the dominant form of transportation.

“For the next 10 or 20 years, and on a global level, our estimation is that more than 50 percent or 60 percent of the cars should be hybrid or fuel cell, with 30 percent of the volume going to battery electric,” Ogiso told Forbes.

The reason for his prediction is battery cost, and with access to global battery research, Ogiso doesn’t expect drastic changes at the moment.

“The cost of pure electric depends very much on range,” Ogiso said. “Up to a 155 mile (250km) range, battery-electric vehicles already can be built for less money than hybrids. However, the market generally wants more range. With a range above 186 miles (300km) a battery-electric vehicle will remain more expensive at least through 2025.”

China’s emissions standards are similar to the European Union, and the gasoline-electric Prius Hybrid already exceeds the EU’s new CO2 target.

European automakers are well aware of this, and to meet the 2020 CO2 deadline they are moving from diesels to plug-in electric hybrids (PHEVs).

Audi, BMW, Daimler and Volkswagen are quickly adding PHEV to their lineups.

A PHEV is essentially a regular hybrid with an extra large battery that can be recharged at home and operate in all-electric model for 20 to 50 miles. When the battery energy is depleted, the gasoline engine takes over and the vehicle operates as a hybrid.

The European plug-in vehicle costs are quite high, and even though they can’t match the Prius consumer price, they are gaining sales ground in several European countries.

Toyota will soon offer its Prius Prime plug-in model in the US and Europe, and while prices have not been published, it is expected to be competitive.

With gas prices at historic lows in the US, consumers are shunning hybrid vehicles and are switching from cars to crossover SUVs.

Until fuel prices rise, hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles will likely continue to play second fiddle in the marketplace.

]]>http://www.hybridcars.com/hybrid-cars-have-cost-advantage-over-diesel-less-expensive-than-evs/feed/0California Continues To Pull More Than Its Weight In Plug-in Car Saleshttp://www.hybridcars.com/california-continues-to-pull-more-than-its-weight-in-plug-in-car-sales/
http://www.hybridcars.com/california-continues-to-pull-more-than-its-weight-in-plug-in-car-sales/#commentsMon, 29 Aug 2016 21:03:54 +0000http://www.hybridcars.com/?p=484729People wanting petroleum independence, cleaner air, and who’d like to see more automotive electrification may want to thank the state that is second only to China in cumulative plug-in electrified vehicle (PEV) sales. That is, if California were its own country, only China would have purchased more PEVs within its borders. Alternately, if California was […]

]]>People wanting petroleum independence, cleaner air, and who’d like to see more automotive electrification may want to thank the state that is second only to China in cumulative plug-in electrified vehicle (PEV) sales.

That is, if California were its own country, only China would have purchased more PEVs within its borders. Alternately, if California was hypothetically not counted, and the rest of the U.S. were to be compared to other global markets, the U.S. would suddenly look like a relative laggard in the worldwide push toward electrification.

With its latest sales tally for the second quarter of 2016, the California New Car Dealers Association (CNCDA) reports overall sales are still up, and PEVs as well as regular hybrids continue to punch beyond their weight class compared to the rest of the U.S.

Year to date, despite the loss of green solo-access HOV stickers, plug-in hybrid sales growth continues with 14,737 registrations, or a “take rate” (market share) of 1.4 percent. By contrast, the U.S. as a whole including California has a PHEV take rate through June of 0.35 percent.

If one removed California’s contribution to what is yet a Lilliputian market, through June the U.S. total of 29,920 PHEVs according to the HybridCars.com Dashboard, would decline to just 15,183.

And the same story goes for battery electric vehicles – in California, BEVs are at 17,182 or 1.6 percent take rate. As a whole, including California, the U.S. is at 0.42 percent.

The U.S. BEV total through June is 34,245. If California’s part were removed, the tally would be 17,063.

Who had the best-selling BEV? Did you have to ask? That would be home-grown Tesla, and its Model S which actually ranked second in its class after the BMW 5-series which only sold 60 more units. The Tesla S model’s 5,147 sales in California were 44 percent of the total 11,700 in the U.S. as a whole.

Regular hybrid electric vehicle sales are also substantial in the state that has spoken for more of them since before the newfangled cars with plugs became available.

The take rate in California is 4.5 percent, and volume is 47,002 registrations through June’s end. The U.S. has on the other hand, including California, purchased 194,005 for a 1.92 percent take rate. Subtract California’s total, and you have 147,003 or just 100,001 more.

Among hybrids, the Prius continues to do well, ranking behind the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla in the “sub-compact” class.

One reason California does so well is by itself it is America’s largest car market, outpacing second-place Texas by a good bit. Last year the Golden State accounted for 2,052,750 passenger vehicle sales out of the U.S. total of 17.47 million.

2016 Toyota Prius hybrid.

This year through the first half, the state records 1,045,440 passenger vehicle sales – up from 1,017,198 for January-June 2015. Market growth however was stronger in Q1 when a 3.9-percent increase was measured, and Q2 saw just 1.8 percent uptick. The growth continues, but not at the pace of last year’s rise of 11.0 percent. The CNCDA predicts things may even flatten out or slightly decline in the next 6-12 months.

“But regardless of which direction sales head in, the preponderance of evidence indicates that the market should remain strong well into 2017,” says the CNCDA. “The combination of steady job growth, rising incomes, low fuel prices, attractive incentive offers, and low interest rates should help keep sales at healthy levels.”

California is also tracking similarly to the U.S. as a whole in its witness of declining car sales as consumers flock back to light trucks.

Living In a European Frame of Mind

The other reason California has its outsized share of electrified cars is of course its Air Resources Board which sets rules alongside the U.S. EPA.

State regulators have won the right to set rules for their air quality, and with global developments, their concerns mirrors worldwide fretfulness now over not just smog and health-affecting air contaminants, but greenhouse emissions inducing climate change.

Toyota’s new RAV4 Hybrid hit the ground running this year. The nearest thing in its price category to what people want in an electrified SUV, its sales declare loud and clear a market void for plug-in SUVs ready for automakers to fill sooner or later.

While automakers and other industry stakeholders contend at the moment over federal rules for 2022-2025, California is “not standing still,” according to one environmental advocate for the Natural Resources Defense Council. Rather, it is looking beyond 2030 and even 2050 at which time the goal for zero emissions is to have been met.

This year lawmakers nervous that a previously announced target for one in seven PEVs be sold in state by 2025 will not be met have attempted to champion legislation meant to strengthen that mandate.

While much has to be decided, to date, automakers are building cars just for California’s arcane system of rules requiring such clean cars in state.

Source: U.S. Department of Energy.

As such, the large state of California has the highest concentration of PEVs per 1,000 people. Its 4.68 PEVs per 1,000 for 2015 eclipses Hawaii’s 2.94, Washington’s 2.32, Georgia’s 2.20, and Oregon’s 2.04. Actually, only five states had more than two plug-in vehicles registered per 1,000 people in 2015, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

This year, on a cumulative basis since the dawn of PEVs, California is up to 5.83 registrations per 1,000 people compared to the U.S. total average of 1.51 per 1,000.

]]>http://www.hybridcars.com/california-continues-to-pull-more-than-its-weight-in-plug-in-car-sales/feed/0Plug-in Sales Hit All-Time High in Junehttp://www.hybridcars.com/plug-in-sales-hit-all-time-high-in-june/
http://www.hybridcars.com/plug-in-sales-hit-all-time-high-in-june/#commentsThu, 07 Jul 2016 04:46:29 +0000http://www.hybridcars.com/?p=462057June witnessed the most plug-in electrified vehicles in one month yet sold in the United States. In all, 13,772 PEVs were sold comprised of 7,678 battery electric vehicles and 6,094 plug-in hybrids. The previous record was in December 2015, when 13,274 were sold. This is a count for passenger vehicles, and their combined percentage of […]

By comparison, regular hybrids tallied to 27,679 sales, or 1.84 percent of the market.

Hybrid models sold in the U.S. number around three dozen vehicles, and PEVs made up of 14 plug-in hybrid models, and 12 battery electrics equal 26.

Hybrids also have an 11-year head start in the market, and PEVs are actually building on the foundation laid by these first electrified vehicles.

The dollar premium over conventional cars that PEVs require is still more, but they are eligible for federal and state subsidies, whereas federal hybrid tax credit went away several years ago when the Chevy Volt and Nissan Leaf were just two months on the market.

More PEVs are coming too, and in more type classes, including one minivan, and crossover SUVs.

Also pending are the new 200-mile-plus EVs from Chevrolet, Nissan, Tesla, and Ford and Hyundai are also expected to bring forth competitors in the sub-$40,000 range.

Cheap gas has put a damper on the market, but that is hardly the only factor limiting faster growth. More consumer education is still needed, as are more dealers able to explain the benefits of plugging in along with motivation to sell them.

The market is moving forward however, not as fast as some predicted at the end of last decade, but things are speeding up as regulations tighten, the word spreads, and other factors also create synergy.

]]>http://www.hybridcars.com/plug-in-sales-hit-all-time-high-in-june/feed/0June 2016 Dashboardhttp://www.hybridcars.com/june-2016-dashboard/
http://www.hybridcars.com/june-2016-dashboard/#commentsTue, 05 Jul 2016 14:15:57 +0000http://www.hybridcars.com/?p=461010The HybridCars.com monthly sales Dashboard is a collaboration of HybridCars.com and Baum & Associates, a Michigan-based market research firm focusing on automotive issues including the hybrid and electric vehicle market. Factoring an adjustment for the different number of selling days each month for 2015 and 2016, overall sales for June were down modestly from a […]

]]>The HybridCars.com monthly sales Dashboard is a collaboration of HybridCars.com and Baum & Associates, a Michigan-based market research firm focusing on automotive issues including the hybrid and electric vehicle market.

Factoring an adjustment for the different number of selling days each month for 2015 and 2016, overall sales for June were down modestly from a year ago, and down significantly from a month ago, May 2016.

Through the first six months of the year, overall sales were up 1 percent from the comparable 2015 period. Thus, overall sales are strong but it appears a plateau has been reached. As compared to a year-ago, June sales were up significantly for plug-in hybrids but down in the other categories. As compared to May, June sales were up for battery electrics and diesels, and down in the other categories.

Battery electric vehicle sales were up from May on the strength of Tesla – which always has strong sales in the last month of the quarter – and the Nissan Leaf. As usual, sales of the Model S and Model X are estimated and sales of the Tesla models vary month to month as Tesla seeks to respond to demand. Model S is doing better in part because updates are keeping that model strong while demand for the Model X is not as strong as expected some months ago. Sales for the Model X in June were the best of the year, with the Model S just behind March volumes. That said, Tesla sales are behind the automaker’s goals and they will have to increase significantly in the second half to meet stated expectations. While the Model X has finally reached significant production volumes, the Model S has sold at a higher rate on the basis of new versions, including a cheaper 60 kWh variant. The Leaf continues to muddle along and the outlook is poor since the all-new model is not coming soon. At the mid-year point, category sales are down with most models down with new models like the Tesla Model X adding volume to the category. Sales as a share of total sales have been moderate in the past few months but June was in line with the all-time high achieved in December 2014.

Plug-in hybrids were down from last month, but ahead of year-ago levels on the strength of the Chevy Volt and Ford Fusion Energi. Year-to-date, those two models are well ahead of 2015 levels. The Volt continues to achieve sales of about 2,000 a month which is a decent result for the vehicle. Sales of the BMW X5 continue at a strong rate. The Prius Prime plug in hybrid will appear in coming months and should improve on the prior model since it has a higher all-electric range than the prior version. The Fusion Energi had its best month this year and sales should continue to increase as a new version is now available. The Fusion Energi’s year-to-date sales is well above the C-Max Energi’s and it and the Volt are the leading gas-electric cars by a wide margin.

Hybrid sales in June were down almost 10 percent from May, and almost 15 percent from year-ago. While the Prius Liftback is down about 10 percent despite its being redesigned, the Prius c and Prius v (neither of which have been updated) are both down significantly. The news is better for Ford’s hybrids, particularly the Fusion (which has just been updated). While sales of the RAV4 were down in June, the vehicle is the second best-selling hybrid year-to-date. The Camry hybrid continues to struggle, in line with the vehicle itself. While sales of the Chevy Malibu hybrid are modest, the numbers are growing as availability increases for the new hybrid version. Hybrids on crossovers for Toyota and Lexus are doing well, with volumes up for the Lexus NX and RX and Toyota Highlander and the aforementioned RAV4. VW has announced that the Jetta hybrid will be discontinued this fall due to poor sales.

Although a settlement for some of the VW diesel vehicles has been announced (the 2.0-liter versions are covered, the 3.0-liter diesels have not yet been addressed), there is no indication when VW will be able to sell new vehicles with diesel engine for some time. We have added the diesel version of the Ford Transit van (the diesel share is estimated) and volumes have been added back to its launch in mid-2014. With the VW products off the market, the Ford Transit and Ram Pickup are pacing the segment. If we look at the diesel segment and exclude all VW Group products, year-to-date sales are up 4 percent.

]]>http://www.hybridcars.com/june-2016-dashboard/feed/07 States With the Best Green Car Incentiveshttp://www.hybridcars.com/7-states-with-the-best-green-car-incentives/
http://www.hybridcars.com/7-states-with-the-best-green-car-incentives/#commentsThu, 30 Jun 2016 15:39:34 +0000http://www.hybridcars.com/?p=459354Here’s a trick question: How much will you have to pay for a new Chevy Volt, Nissan Leaf, Ford Fusion Energi, Tesla, or some other plug-in electrified vehicle? If you live in the U.S., the answer is it all depends on the state in which you live and/or register the car. Aside from a $2,500 […]

]]>Here’s a trick question: How much will you have to pay for a new Chevy Volt, Nissan Leaf, Ford Fusion Energi, Tesla, or some other plug-in electrified vehicle?

If you live in the U.S., the answer is it all depends on the state in which you live and/or register the car.

Aside from a $2,500 to $7,500 federal tax credit depending on the vehicle’s battery size, people buying or leasing may also benefit from a menu of state incentives, most notably a cash rebate or tax credit, on top of the federal allotment.

State-level perks are made available under qualified terms to compensate for the extra expense associated with plug-in hybrid, battery electric, and in cases hydrogen fuel cell and other alternative fuel vehicles. Like your fuel mileage, state-offered dollar amounts do vary – from very generous down to zero.

Looking at a Chevy Volt (pictured top) as an example, the purchase amount before options could be as much as the $33,995 base selling price to as low as around $22,000 depending on where you live and your tax filing status. This is before any dealer discounts and other potential state or local perks, including additional financial benefits under state programs.

As a point of comparison, the best-selling Toyota Prius – ineligible for federal or state purchase incentives – starts at $25,035.

Why the variance for the plug-in? The discretion to offer these perks is up to the individual states, and you can see this in a couple of different ways. If you are eligible for a state rebate or credit, it’s tantamount to a windfall gain, though you will likely have forms to fill in, and typically will need to front the money you expect to get back.

If your state does not offer a meaningful financial green car incentive, while it would have been nice to receive, and may even feel unfair that your state offers nothing (or less than another state), bottom line is the state does not owe people free money.

Most states are willing to offer some form of monetary incentives, however, and their willingness to temporarily deprive the tax base is also to meet their goals of transitioning away from fossil fuels and toward cleaner air.

Due by the end of this year is the first of the next level of battery electric cars, the Chevy Bolt. Its 200-plus-mile range will be available for prices similar to a comparably equipped 107-mile Nissan Leaf.

For the past half decade this has been the reality and the state-by-state incentives have been taken advantage of by many of the people who’ve purchased the almost half a million PEVs that are now on American roads.

Unlike the federal rules, the state-level perks are periodically reviewed, changed, and some programs have limits and finite funds, so it is better to investigate and if possible, get while the getting is good.

To give you an up-to-the minute update, with help from the National Conference of State Legislatures, and with data collected by the U.S. Alternative Fuel Data Center (AFDC), our list follows.

Notable is the country’s dominant PEV-consuming state, California, has for now suspended its alternative fuel vehicle rebate program putting applicants on a waiting list while budgetary issues are worked out. It would have made the list, but we’ll link its most-extensive list of benefits, many of which are still active. Similarly, Illinois’ state plan is also suspended, but its generous allotment would have ranked second.

States are ranked by maximum dollar amount for their alternative vehicle credit, but within each this may be less, depending on which qualifying vehicle you purchase, or other provisions of the individual programs.

7 Rhode Island – $2,500

Rhode Island is one of the “tri-state” region of New England states that are patterning off each other to put more PEVs on the road. Surveys have shown many residents are unaware of the existence of programs that could help offset their costs. Consider this your notice: FREE MONEY.

The Ford Fusion Energi, like its C-Max sibling, offers 19 miles EV range and high mpg in a package comparable to versions with conventional or regular hybrid powertrains in Ford’s popular midsized sedan line. Because of its smaller 7.6-kWh battery, it does not qualify for the highest dollar allotments in state or federal programs.

The state offers for its residents the Driving Rhode Island to Vehicle Electrification rebate program with rebates of up to $2,500 for the purchase or lease of qualified plug-in electrified vehicles.

These, like the federal tax credit, do vary by battery size, and and more can be learned at the AFDC, or Rhode Island’s site.

6. Massachusetts – $2,500

Massachusetts is another of the “tri-state” states where advocates are working to see automakers send more cars, and to also get more dealers enthusiastic about stocking and selling them. To help, this state also is willing to help close the deal.

Toyota’s Mirai FCV is not available yet outside a limited market in California, but states are preparing for it and other FCVs. Toyota says the Northeast corridor from New England states down to New Jersey is next to get it.

The Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources has a program called Massachusetts Offers Rebates for Electric Vehicles (MOR-EV) offering rebates of up to $2,500 to customers purchasing PEVs.

Massachusetts also has for local governments, public universities and colleges, and state agencies its Massachusetts Electric Vehicle Incentive Program (MassEVIP). Not for indiviual consumers, these do offer grants to purchase or lease qualified PEVs, zero emission electric motorcycles (ZEMs), and Level 2 EVSE. Up to $7,500 in grants is available to purchase or lease a PEV, up to $13,500 is available to purchase or lease a Level 2 EVSE, and up to $750 is offered to purchase or lease a ZEM.

5. Georgia – $2,500

During its best sales year of 2014, Nissan was reporting the Atlanta region as one where all of a sudden many residents decided the Leaf was a great idea. No, it wasn’t the TV ad where the polar bear hugged the Leaf buyer in his driveway that captured their attention, it was because of now-reduced perks that added to $5,000 or more which made the value proposition hard to resist.

The Nissan Leaf, launched December 2010, is the world’s best selling PEV with more than 220,000 sold. Lease deals make it still a wise acquisition, and alternatively used examples (not credit eligible) are attractively priced.

The state still has a number of incentives, including an Alternative Fuel Vehicle Tax Credit for individuals who purchase or lease a new dedicated AFV or convert a vehicle to operate solely on alternative fuel. This tax credit is for up to 10 percent of the vehicle cost, or up to $2,500.

Potentially better than sweet tea is another income tax credit for charging the vehicle, called the Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment Tax Credit. This also provides up to 10 percent of the electric vehicle charging equipment, or up to $2,500.

Beyond these are other incentives from Georgia Power, an HOV lane exemption permitting solo access, and more can be learned at the AFDC, or Georgia’s own website.

4. Maryland – $3,000

Maryland is known for crab dishes, the Inner Harbor in Baltimore, the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, among other things, and with up to $3,000 in PEV incentives, it can also be known as one of the better incentive-offering states in the country. The PEV incentive allotted by battery size is however adjusted so that cars like the largest battery plug-in hybrid Chevy Volt do not receive the maximum dollar amount (it’s eligible for $2,300). Other states do give their maximum credit for the Volt, as does the federal government, but in Maryland battery electric cars like the Nissan Leaf, BMW i3, others, and of course Teslas will get more of the incentive.

Diving into the details a bit, in addition to an HOV solo lane exemption for qualified alternative fueled vehicles the state offers a plug-in car tax credit. Effective July 1, 2014 through July 1, 2017, H.B. 1345 and S.B. 908 (2014) replace the existing tax credit of up to $1,000 with a tax credit equal to $125 times the number of kilowatt-hours of battery capacity of the vehicle, or up to $3,000. That just qualifies the 24-kWH Nissan Leaf for the whole enchilada (or whole crab cake, you choose).

3. Louisiana – $3,000

The land of the Mardi Gras, Cajun, Creole, and other cultural uniqueness is also making its contribution to green energy with a tax credit of 10 percent of a new motor vehicle’s cost, up to $3,000.

This is an alternative to an income tax credit for 50 percent of the cost of converting or purchasing an alternative fuel vehicle or constructing an alternative fueling station.

Just facelift, the Tesla Model S was introduced in summer 2012, and has been updated on the fly, The automaker has other issues with states however, and a few have restrictions on its factory direct sales practice. Tesla’s website incentive page is a source for more info.

Uncertain is the status at the moment. Latest available data said by January 31, 2016, the Louisiana House Committee on Ways and Means and Senate Committee on Revenue and Fiscal Affairs ws to review the credit’s economic benefit and make a recommendation by March 1, 2017, to extend or terminate the credit.

2. Connecticut – $3,000 Cash on the Hood!

In announcing its program, Connecticut stakeholders said they thought they could maybe teach California a lesson on how to do subsidies, which at the moment given California’s status, is all the more potent.

“We’re a small state, but we have some big ideas, and maybe we can show California how to do this,” said Jim Fleming, president of the Connecticut Automotive Retailers Association in August 2015 as they announced cash on the hood rebates. “It’s a bit of an experiment.”

The BMW i3 comes in pure battery electric and range-extended versions. Its battery options are being updated, and while less than the Bolt’s is a very advanced car.

Much more attractive than waiting for a check or tax credit is money at the point of sale taken directly off the sales price, and that is what Connecticut does. As the other “tri-state” mentioned, the exact amount varies by eligible car, and it will accommodate fuel cell vehicles if and when they get there, as has been planned.

Its Hydrogen and Electric Automobile Purchase Rebate Program (CHEAPR) provides up to $3,000 for purchase or lease of a hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV), or PEV on a first-come, first-served basis.

1. Colorado – $6,000

This state is the missing link to the Volt purchase example used up top for how to get a $34,995 Volt for approximately $22,000 as a Volt is eligible for around $4,500 in a program that goes as high as $6,000 for qualified vehicles. With a new twist on the meaning of Rocky Mountain high, residents eligible for the full $7,500 plus $6,000 in state credit will have to front the money when making the purchase, but stand to get it all back come tax time.

The state’s Alternative Fuel & Advanced Vehicle Technology Tax Credit provides up to $6,000 for a motor vehicle that uses or is converted to use an alternative fuel, is a hybrid electric vehicle or has its power source replaced with one that uses an alternative fuel.

The Chevy Volt is a compact, so it’s smaller than midsized plug-in hybrid sedans, but stomps them all in the all-important EV range category, with 53 miles rated range.

Fleet buyers can also qualify for up to $8,260 per PEV under a program by The Colorado Energy Office (CEO) and Regional Air Quality Council (RAQC) which provides grants to support fleet PEV adoption.

Also supported for consumers are electric vehicle charging equipment grants, a solo driver HOV lane exemption, and what’s not to like?

Apart for the AFDC website, an excellent reference has been the National Conference of State Legislatures’ soup-to-nuts compendium all on one page put together by Energy Program Manager Kristy Hartman. Last updated December 2015, changes in state programs have taken place since then, and an updated page is expected soon.

]]>http://www.hybridcars.com/7-states-with-the-best-green-car-incentives/feed/0Europe Buys Its 500,000th Plug-in Vehiclehttp://www.hybridcars.com/europe-buys-its-500000th-plug-in-vehicle/
http://www.hybridcars.com/europe-buys-its-500000th-plug-in-vehicle/#commentsWed, 15 Jun 2016 17:35:33 +0000http://www.hybridcars.com/?p=454033In May Europe’s cumulative total sales of plug-in electrified vehicles (PEVs) crossed the half-million unit mark. Just the top six European countries with unit counts available at this point have purchased 502,311 PEVs, making Europe number one in passenger PEVs, with the U.S. second, and China third. The count for Europe does include about 32,000 […]

Just the top six European countries with unit counts available at this point have purchased 502,311 PEVs, making Europe number one in passenger PEVs, with the U.S. second, and China third.

The count for Europe does include about 32,000 light commercial utility vans, so counting just passenger vehicles, Europe is at about 470,000.

That’s still ahead of the approximately 460,000 in the U.S., and given this is a partial count through end of last month, Europe is well on the way to 500,000 passenger PEV sales if it hasn’t done it already.

Looking at the cumulative total of European major markets since PEVs began selling in 2007, following are the leaders.

You’ll note sales for the Netherlands and Switzerland are only through April. The only major market missing at this stage from the 500k count is the Netherlands, which may add another thousand-some sales.

According to global sales tracker Mario R. Duran, the Dutch PEV market spiked last year as consumers rushed to take advantage of incentives drying up, and this year average monthly sales have been just 1,000 units or so, compared to an average 3,600 in 2015.

Among the top-selling European countries for this calendar year through May, Norway leads with 18,734 units, the UK follows with 16,056, France is third with 15,267, Germany spoke for 8,783, and Sweden saw 4,509 PEV sales. The Netherlands through April is at 3,592.

Accelerating Pace

Compared to the U.S., Europe which used to trail it has been coming on strong. Last summer it grew 60-percent faster from January through April, and in December, we reported through October it was up 86 percent.

Helping things is about 35 models of PEVs in Europe, or nearly twice the selection of available models compared to the U.S.

In the U.S. market, the Nissan Leaf and Tesla Model S and Model X are among the top sellers, and in Europe, two cars not sold in the U.S. are present heavy hitters, these being the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV and Renault Zoe.

China also is on a roll with its heavily incentivized market, as that nation seeks to remedy air quality concerns with zero-emission mandates.

It surpassed the U.S. in 2015 also, and leads the world.

But in its favor is the U.S. has been and remains a leader in plug-in electrified vehicles. It is, for example, the home country of Tesla which is of course selling abroad.

Tesla cars, including the pending Model 3, as well as the 2017 Chevy Bolt are the only two 200-plus-mile range EVs at this stage out and announced in the sub-$40,000 category.

Nissan’s next Leaf, and a couple more will be too, so in the ebb and flow of market position, the U.S. is competitive, albeit slipping in the total volume category.

Very soon the world will buy its 1,500,000th plug-in car, and in all markets, things are speeding up.

]]>http://www.hybridcars.com/europe-buys-its-500000th-plug-in-vehicle/feed/0Californians Will Buy 200,000th Plug-in Car By This Monthhttp://www.hybridcars.com/californians-will-buy-200000th-plug-in-car-by-this-month/
http://www.hybridcars.com/californians-will-buy-200000th-plug-in-car-by-this-month/#commentsTue, 15 Mar 2016 00:07:40 +0000http://www.hybridcars.com/?p=414922California has been called the El Dorado State, the Grape State, the Golden State, but having purchased nearly half of all plug-in cars ever sold in the U.S., you can call it The ZEV State. Actually, with its Air Resources Board (ARB) setting Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) rules for about a quarter of the U.S. […]

]]>California has been called the El Dorado State, the Grape State, the Golden State, but having purchased nearly half of all plug-in cars ever sold in the U.S., you can call it The ZEV State.

Actually, with its Air Resources Board (ARB) setting Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) rules for about a quarter of the U.S. car market, it already is informally called a ZEV state, but its latest milestone highlights the fact all the more.

By this month, as we’ll detail further down in this article, the state will in all likelihood have spoken for the 200,000th plug-in electrified vehicle (PEV) in the U.S. out of the almost 425,000 purchased through February, or 47 percent of the total.

The nationwide PEV market is a small one, and numbers started trickling in as far back as 2008 with a ramp up from 2011 onward, but the epicenter of the tempest in a teapot is California which gets several plug-in cars tailor-made just for it.

Interpret this data point as you will – either to California’s credit, or the rest of the country’s (not) credit or in some other way – but if the U.S. had purchased PEVs at the rate that California has, it would be seriously ahead in the global expansion of the PEV market.

Last year the California New Car Dealer Association (CNCDA) reported 2.05 million passenger vehicles and light duty trucks registered, and of these, 62,166 were PEVs. That’s 3 percent and if that rate of acceptance were applied to the U.S. which last year bought 17.37 million passenger vehicles, more than half a million would have been the plug-in variety.

Instead, the U.S. bought 114,248 PEVs as media kept up the barrage of negative stories including how cheap gas is – not the only reason why people buy PEVs – and that they may be a taxpayer boondoggle, etc., while many sat on the fence or ignored them altogether.

Determined to make its fleet zero emission with all haste, California’s ARB however has not received the memo. Instead, it issues mandates that makes the carmakers jump through hoops.

Automakers have put into the marketplace 27 PEVs at the present and fluctuating count – 14 of which are plug-in hybrids and 13 are battery electric cars.

Many more PEVs are coming too, with California and other states following its rules a primary target, while some automakers also proffer their PEVs to the rest of the country.

About the 200k Milestone

An inquiry to the Air Resources Board revealed its latest count was only to the end of last year, and the CNCDA will not publish its Auto Outlook to confirm the count until April or May, so the estimate is only that, but believed reliable.

In 2014 California accounted for 48 percent of all PEVs purchased in the U.S., last year it accounted for 54.5 percent, and at the rate things are going it is very likely its dominance will remain or increase.

Through the end of last year, the CNCDA reported 191,650 PEV registrations meaning just 8,350 PEV sales were required to make the 200k goal.

Now two-and-a-half months later, the odds are good the milestone has been crossed, and it is nearly assured to have been met by end of this month.

In the slowest PEV sales month of the year, January, the U.S. bought 6,713 PEVs which would make California’s estimated share 3,658 units. In February, 8,133 PEVs were sold nationwide, which would add 4,432, bringing a theoretical total to 199,740.

This assumes the same 54.5 percent market share carries forward, but even at 50 percent, the tally in California would be 7,423 units through end of February or 199,073, and less than 1,000 to go this month.

It’s close, but safe to say California may already have purchased its 200,00th PEV and plug-in advocates can only wish the U.S. catches up.

If the U.S. had purchased PEVs at the same rate as California, it would have crushed Barack Obama’s one-million PEV goal well before the 2015 deadline instead of accomplishing just 41 percent of it while ceding its lead to China and Europe last year.

Oh well. Eventually it will get there, right? And in no small part thanks to California, The ZEV State.

]]>http://www.hybridcars.com/californians-will-buy-200000th-plug-in-car-by-this-month/feed/0Plug-in Car Ownership Costs Projected To Beat Conventional Cars by Mid 2020shttp://www.hybridcars.com/plug-in-car-ownership-costs-projected-to-beat-conventional-cars-by-mid-2020s/
http://www.hybridcars.com/plug-in-car-ownership-costs-projected-to-beat-conventional-cars-by-mid-2020s/#commentsMon, 29 Feb 2016 15:32:31 +0000http://www.hybridcars.com/?p=408681As battery costs decline, plug-in electrified vehicles could in coming years teeter into mainstream acceptance, competing favorable against conventional vehicles, and displacing 13 million barrels of oil per day. This is the global prognosis of a report looking into next decade and through 2040 by Bloomberg New Energy Finance. Published on Thursday, the report projected […]

]]>As battery costs decline, plug-in electrified vehicles could in coming years teeter into mainstream acceptance, competing favorable against conventional vehicles, and displacing 13 million barrels of oil per day.

This is the global prognosis of a report looking into next decade and through 2040 by Bloomberg New Energy Finance.

Published on Thursday, the report projected vehicle sales will reach 41 million by 2040, representing 35 percent of new light duty vehicle sales – or 90-times the levels they were in 2014.

“The research estimates that the growth of EVs will mean they represent a quarter of the cars on the road by that date, displacing 13 million barrels per day of crude oil but using 1,900TWh of electricity,” said Bloomberg New Energy Finance. “This would be equivalent to nearly 8 percent of global electricity demand in 2015.”

The forecast contemplated myriad variables in the new car market, factoring costs of petroleum and batteries in the equation.

“At the core of this forecast is the work we have done on EV battery prices,” said Colin McKerracher, lead advanced transportation analyst at Bloomberg New Energy Finance. “Lithium-ion battery costs have already dropped by 65 percent since 2010, reaching $350 per kwh last year. We expect EV battery costs to be well below $120 per kwh by 2030, and to fall further after that as new chemistries come in.”

Along with the variable of near-future battery prices, oil prices were a key variable to consider.

“Our central forecast is based on the crude oil price recovering to $50, and then trending back up to $70-a-barrel or higher by 2040,” said Salim Morsy, senior analyst and author of the study. Interestingly, if the oil price were to fall to $20 and stick there, this would only delay mass adoption of EVs to the early 2030s.”

Bloomberg New Energy Finance observed today the market is propped up by “early adopters” making plug-in hybrids and battery electric cars work for them when the mass market is sitting on the sidelines.

But that all is due to shift, says the report.

The total cost of ownership calculated by the study shows unsubsidized battery electric vehicles (BEVs) becoming cheaper than internal combustion engine cars by the mid-2020s. This would be true, it says, even if conventional vehicles improve their average mileage per gallon by 3.5 percent per year.

Looking ahead to the Chevy Bolt, Tesla Model 3, and more mid-priced comparable BEVs to follow, the study assumes that BEVs with 60 kwh batteries will be available and will travel 200 miles between charges.

“In the next few years, the total-cost-of-ownership advantage will continue to lie with conventional cars, and we therefore do not expect EVs [plug-in electrified cars] to exceed 5 percent of light duty vehicle sales in most markets – except where subsidies make up the difference,” said Morsey. “However, that cost comparison is set to change radically in the 2020s.”

]]>http://www.hybridcars.com/plug-in-car-ownership-costs-projected-to-beat-conventional-cars-by-mid-2020s/feed/0California Plug-in Sales Led The US Last Year With Nearly Five-Times Greater Market Sharehttp://www.hybridcars.com/california-plug-in-sales-led-us-last-year-with-nearly-five-times-greater-market-share/
http://www.hybridcars.com/california-plug-in-sales-led-us-last-year-with-nearly-five-times-greater-market-share/#commentsThu, 18 Feb 2016 02:00:03 +0000http://www.hybridcars.com/?p=404626Did you ever wonder why carmakers make several plug-in electrified vehicles (PEVs) targeted just for California? A big reason is its Air Resources Board swings a heavy stick, influencing other states’ regulations in the process, and federal rules are driving things as well, but any way you slice it, California is America’s capital of plug-in […]

]]>Did you ever wonder why carmakers make several plug-in electrified vehicles (PEVs) targeted just for California?

A big reason is its Air Resources Board swings a heavy stick, influencing other states’ regulations in the process, and federal rules are driving things as well, but any way you slice it, California is America’s capital of plug-in cars.

Want us to quantify that? OK, if California were its own country, its 62,166 plug-in electrified vehicle sales last year – at 54.5 percent of the entire U.S. total of 114,064 – would make it the third-biggest market on a percentage basis.

But California with its zero-emissions vehicle mandates calling for one-in-seven ZEVs by 2025 and a higher percentage of residents who are on board with green transportation priorities dwarfs the U.S. as a whole.

Its 3.1 percent PEV market share is 4.7-times higher than the 0.66 percent the U.S. achieved for 2015.

Broken down, the number of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) sold in California was 34,444 for a 1.7 percent market share – up 1.6 percent from 2014. Its plug-in hybrid (PHEV) market share from 27,722 sales was 1.4 percent – down from 1.6 percent in 2014.

Since 2010, California has spoken for 191,650 PEVs, or 47.3 percent of the entire purchase history for the U.S.

The Golden State is on track for a 200,000 milestone during the first quarter of this year, and its 191,650 PEVs is nearly an even split between BEVs and PHEVs. Specifically, its cumulative 97,484 BEV sales since 2010, and 94,166 PHEVs work out to 50.9 percent BEVs, 49.1 percent PHEVs.

Yep, California is on a roll, and the state’s new car dealer association reported new car vehicle registrations surged for the sixth straight year.

“The [total passenger vehicle] market was up a sizable 11.1 percent from 2014, easily eclipsing the 5.2 percent increase in the nation,” observed the CNDA.

What was the best selling PEV? Homegrown Tesla Model S, are you surprised? California spoke for 10,273 or 42.5 percent of 25,202 U.S. sales. The Model S was also the third-best selling car in the luxury and sports segment, behind the Mercedes E-Class and BMW 5-Series, but EVs still have a way to go before they supplant regular hybrids.

California’s hybrid sales were at 5.8 percent last year, down from 6.3 percent in 2014, and 6.8 percent in 2013, but the Toyota Prius still reigned high.

Even on a down year in anticipation of the 2016 revision of the Prius Liftback, the Prius family documented 72,040 registrations in 2015 and was counted as the state’s third-best selling passenger vehicle.

2016 Chevy Volt – distributed to 11 states following California rules. The rest of the country gets a 2017 early this year.

The Prius has fallen from second place last year and first place the year before, and the number one car this year is the Honda Civic with Ford’s F-150 counted as the top-selling light truck.

“There are some indications that new vehicle sales are approaching a cyclical peak and the economic outlook is becoming cloudier,” said the CNDA. “But the combination of very low fuel prices, high demand for light trucks, and strong consumer affordability should help the market increase this year, with registrations remaining above the 2 million unit mark.”

You read that right – high demand for trucks, and on another day that would be a bigger story.

Plug-in cars at this point are a slim margin even in the number one state, but automakers globally are responding to a market now firmly underway, and new models are coming as the selling proposition improves as well.